Zhao Dingqi: During the Cold War, how did the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) conduct the “Cultural Cold War”? What activities did the CIA’s Congress for Cultural Freedom carry out, and what impact did it have? Gabriel Rockhill: The CIA undertook, along with other state agencies and the foundations of …

Geopolitics is an approach to politics that stresses the features imposed on foreign policy by geographical location, environment, and natural resources. Geopolitics as a discipline contributes to the emphasis on continuity in contemporary political realism. The focal idea of geopolitics is that those who control the Eurasian landmass (Heartland) dominate …

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the country’s parliament on August 25 that initiatives to revive relations with Turkey had not yielded “any results worth mentioning despite the seriousness and genuine keenness of mediators.” This declaration comes after both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Assad signaled that they were interested …

Efforts to amend the 1959 Personal Status Law are another attempt to create a parallel authority to that of the state. Controversial efforts in Iraq today to change the country’s personal status law and give more power to the religious sects reflects the growing institutionalization of sectarianism as the basis …

Volodymyr Zelensky’s Western allies have worried that the surprise, cross-border attack will provoke Vladimir Putin to escalate. Less than a month ago, Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, overwhelming Russian border defenses and taking hundreds of soldiers captive. The move has boosted Ukrainian spirits during a year …

Noa Argamani, an Israeli woman who was held captive in the Gaza Strip for eight months, has denied reports that she was tortured. Israeli media had reported that she was tortured during her captivity in Gaza, citing her statements. After the news quickly spread, Argamani refuted these claims on her …

The Hamas delegation, which left the negotiations in Cairo, emphasized that they are solely interested in implementing the proposal by U.S. President Joe Biden regarding a hostage agreement and a ceasefire in Gaza, which was agreed upon on July 2nd. Hamas demanded that Israel be held accountable to the terms …

In addition to the bodies of hundreds of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, Israel still holds the bodies of 552 individuals, of which 256 are in a secret cemetery known as the “Graveyard of Numbers,” and 296 are in refrigerated morgues, according to Palestinian institutions. A delegation of Palestinian prisoners …

CTP-ISW continues to assess that an Iranian drone and missile strike targeting Israel is the most likely Iranian course of action. The Pentagon spokesperson reported on August 26 that the United States assesses there is still a threat of strikes against Israel from Iran or its Axis of Resistance based …

General Cavoli discusses the Euro-Atlantic Partnership, security challenges in the region, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and his takeaways from the NATO Summit in Washington. DAALDER: Well, good afternoon. Welcome, everyone, to the Council on Foreign Relations and our meeting with the Supreme Allied Commander Europe. What a fantastic title. (Laughter.) …